Box Score
Jamie Tabon recorded a double-double, with a game-high 16 points and 15 rebounds, but Pitt-Johnstown could not pull off the victory as the Lady Cats lost to Mercyhurst University, 65-60 in PSAC West Division action Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center in Erie.
 
Nicole Corcorcan and Jasmine Harper also had notable performances as Corcoran produced 13 points while Harper tallied 11 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Cats, who lost their eighth straight game and fall to 7-18 overall, and 4-15 in conference play with the loss.
 
Harper performance now gives her 1,265 career points and 734 career rebounds. She remains in 16^th place on the Lady Cat All-Time Scoring list and 11^th place on the Lady Cat All-Time Rebounding list.
 
Mercyhurst was out to a 7-0 lead after 2:19 of play in the first quarter, but Pitt-Johnstown, led by Tabon, in the next minute of play, followed the Lakers' run with a 7-1 run of their own. Tabon recorded a jumper and a three-pointer during the span as the Lady Cats trailed 8-7.
 
Jessica Bell then answered with a layup to give Mercyhurst a 10-7 advantage with 6:12 left in the period, but Harper scored the next four points, a pair of free throws and a layup, to put the Lady Cats ahead, 11-10 at the 4:30 mark.
 
The momentum continued the change sides as the Lakers scored the next six points and built a 16-11 lead when Natalie Piaggesi made of two free throws after being fouled by Olivia McCabe at 2:43. Mercyhurst closed out the quarter with two jumpers from Adrienne Kloecker in the last 1:02 to go into the second period with a 20-14 advantage.
 
By the 5:42 second quarter mark, only six baskets were made in the period, all of which were made by Kloecker, two three-pointers and a jumper. Her shots capped a 12-0 for the Lakers, which started in the first quarter, with all of the points coming from her.
 
Harper ended the run a layup at 5:14, but Mercyhurst remained on top heading into halftime, scoring five of the last eight points, which helped produced a 14-point lead, 33-19 to start the second half.
 
The Lakers opened the third quarter with a third straight run to start a period in the game. In the third period, they scored the first six points, four coming from Piaggesi, a layup and a pair of free throws, to build a 38-19 lead by the 6:27 third quarter mark.
 
A three-pointer from Jalin Steel gave the Lakers a 20-point lead with 4:20 left in the period, leading Pitt-Johnstown, 43-23. The lead would remain above 19 points until the 2:07 mark when Leah Hansen drained a three-point shot to cut the Lakers' lead to 45-29. Mercyhurst closed out the period with a 49-34 lead after a pair of free throws from Angela Heintz.
 
Nicole Corcoran scored the first five points of the last quarter, a three-pointer and a layup, to cut Mercyhurst's lead to 10 points with nine minutes remaining. Two and a half minutes later, Corcoran drained another three-pointer to cut the Lakers' advantage to seven points, 54-47, but Mercyhurst followed without a three-pointer from Alex Artise 32 seconds later to go back ahead by 10 points.
 
Pitt-Johnstown did not surrender, however, as they chiseled the deficit to five points by scoring the next five points, a layup from Hansen and a three-point play from Tabon, to make the score, 57-52 with 3:46 left to play.
 
27 seconds later, Mercyhurst responded with a three-pointer from Hayley Andres to go ahead by eight points. Both teams then traded layups until Ana Hollen hit a jumper at 1:02 and Tabon made one as well with 23 seconds to put the Lady Cats withing four points of the lead, 62-58. Mercyhurst was able to secure the victory by making three of four free throw shots in the last minute of the game.
 
Steel led the Lakers with 14 points as the team advances to 12-13 overall, and 10-9 in conference competition with the win.
 
The Lady Cats are to play in two straight road games, traveling to Indiana University (Pa.) Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. and Clarion University Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. before closing out the season at home against Slippery Rock University Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. All remaining games part of doubleheaders with the Mountain Cats.